


As luck would have it

by lilacSkye



Category: RWBY
Genre: A lot - Freeform, Canon-Typical Violence, Gore, actual ball of sunshine Taiyang, also Qrow swears, angsty little Qrow, but better safe than sorry, the creepy tags are actually because a couple of Grimm get their butts kicked by Qrow and Tai, they're such good bros
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-04
Updated: 2017-05-04
Packaged: 2018-10-28 03:31:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10822842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilacSkye/pseuds/lilacSkye
Summary: How Qrow met Taiyang on initiation day and thus unexpectedly got the brother he never thought he'd have. Complete with sass, angsty teenagers done with their semblances and their faux families and a few whack-a-Grimm sessions to spice things up.





	As luck would have it

**Author's Note:**

> I love these two together. I just love them so much that I had to do something about it. This something is probably terrible in any case because it's quite action packed and I'm crap at this whole writing thing, but I couldn't help myself. Hope you enjoy!

So this was it, he thought as his red eyes scanned the grassy cliff they were standing on.  
  
Several feet beneath them a seemingly endless forest extended for miles and miles, the tall trees so packed together that it was impossible to tell what was happening under that green curtain, even less to intervene if something went south. That Ozpin guy wasn't joking when he said they'd be on their own.  
  
Not that it was going to scare Qrow, or even less Raven. If there was a thing they had quickly learned since they had been taking into the tribe was that, if you wanted to survive, you could only count on yourself. The tribe had no business with dead weight lagging behind: the strong survive whilst the weak die, the saying went, and it was a little less than an actual law - possibly the only law - in the eye of the current leader.  
  
Personally, Qrow couldn't give a shit about the guy and his fucked up way to live. He couldn't stand to be active part of thievery and manslaugthering as the ones he had witnessed the tribe commit, and he would not: once he got a huntsman license, he was out of there. If Raven wanted to turn back to them, that was on her.  
  
Their polar opposite view on the matter was the reason the two Branwen twins, usually inseparable in whatever they did, were currently standing at the two ends of the row Ozpin had disposed the students in. Qrow tried to sneak a peek at the girl, but he could barely see the tip of her nose protruding from that rebellious mane of pitch black hair, let alone her face. Still, the way she stood, tall and stiff, her arms tightly folded across her chest, told him that yes, she was still fuming from their most recent argument.  
  
He almost pitied the Grimm that would cross path with a Raven in that state. Almost.  
  
"Is everything clear?" The professor's piercing voice questioned, and Qrow had the distinct, unpleasant feeling Ozpin was addressing him in particular. The slight frown that creased the young teacher's brow as he stared at Qrow seemed to confirm it. Although that might simply be because he was staying at the very end of the line. In any case, he followed the others' example and nodded vigorously.  
  
Ozpin looked satisfied at the quiet answer of the new recruits and his frown somewhat smoothed out, replaced by a slightly melacholic smile. He took a sip of what Qrow assumed was coffee - the guy looked like he hadn't had a restful night in ages - and the grip on his cane tightened. On instict, Qrow mirrored the action, and a quick glance to the side confirmed that he was not the only one that felt the shift in tension: Raven's hand was now hovering above the handle of her sword, ready to unsheath it on a moment's notice, and a few spots to his left a well built blond guy seemed to be ready to punch the life out of whatever dared to come at him.  
  
Ozpin tapped the ground with the end of the cane. "Very well, then. Begin!"  
  
Without any further warning, a deafening snap broke the silence resting atop of the cliff, and next thing Qrow knew Raven was propelled into the air. He watched as she spun midair, unfazed by the rather unusual predicament, and readjusted her balance on her way down. In a few seconds, she had been completely swallowed by the green ocean beneath them.  
  
He watched as more and more students followed, studying how each of them dealt with the sudden lack of support under their feet: most took it in stride and somehow managed to keep their balance. The blond guy from earlier clearly didn't think airborne fighting was for him, but another girl seemed to be in her element once in the air, spinning and twisting with insane ease and speed, her beige cloack billowing like actual wings behind her, until she too disappeared into the forest.  
  
Finally, it was his turn; the platform sprung up and he felt himself ejected at neck-breaking speed into the abyss.  
  
"Holy fuck." He whispered, or at least he thought he did: the wind howling in his ears was so loud that it positively drowned out everything else to the point he could barely hear his own thoughts. Not that there was much to think about when you were plummeting straight into a very sturdy looking tree and most likely break your neck in the process if you didn't do something, and do it _fast_.  
  
He raised his arm and grabbed the handle of his sword - his one pride and joy - and pulled it out from its sheath across his back. The wide blade gleamed in the sun for a second before Qrow pushed the tiny button right beneath the hilt and the gears started moving with a soft, buzzing sound that his ears didn't catch but his mind recreated by memory: the blade shifted and curved sharply as a long handle unfolded at its base. He gripped the long staff tightly and swung the scythe down, hooking it around a thick branch just in time to avoid a nasty collide against the large trunk; the sharp blade sliced through the hard wood rather easily, but it still succeded into cutting his momentum down enough to allow him to fall onto the grassy carpet below him without bidding goodbye to his knees. With a neat three-point landing, he finally made touch with the ground.  
  
He slowly got back to his feet, still a bit winded from the long fall. Given, he had his fair share of more or less calculated fights in the air, and he even used to feel proud of his acrobatic fighting style - to the point that the other members of the tribe had started making jokes about his name - but this was still unexpected. Who the fuck thought launching children down a cliff would be a good idea?  
  
With an exasperated sigh, he switched his weapon back to sword form; as much as he liked the scythe, he still had to admit Raven was right when she claimed that it would be rather uncomfortable during close and fast paced combat, where a sword would be much more effective. Not that he'd ever tell her, he would sooner bite off his tongue before he lowered himself to do such a thing.  
  
He didn't know how much he kept walking, listening closely to every rustle of leaves in the wind, to every vibration of the ground, weapon at the ready to strike. Faint exploding sounds - gunfire - wafted from his right, followed by anguished, animalistic wails. Someone had finally encountered a Grimm then, and it seemed like they were having the upper hand. Just another reason to _not_ make his way over there.  
  
One thing he had really dreaded about coming all the way to Beacon was exactly this: teams. He didn't do too well working with others, and his Semblance sure didn't help on that field. Even back at the tribe he preferred to work alone, with only Raven at his side, and the others were usually too scared or simply didn't care to get near them for more than strictly necessary. After all, the two twins were weird, they said, strong but weird, and the guy was cursed. A bad luck charm.  
  
Which all in all was totally fine with him, he wouldn't have wanted to associate with any of them in any case. It was a win-win situation for both parties.  
  
But here, with the team system Beacon was founded on, he seriously doubted he'd be that lucky: being on a four people team meant sharing a significant amount of time and personal space with three other people on any given day, being assigned to all sort of tasks together, even studying together. How did you explain to three other people that you would inflict bad luck on them every day for four years straight? Not willingly, of course.  
  
Which is why he had wished to end up being partnered up with Raven; she seemed to be the only one immune to his Semblance, maybe another one of those twin connection thing, and when she was around the effects tended to be a lot meeker than any other time, almost bearable. On the other hand, Raven was a real handful for everyone - himself included - and having her on a team would probably be just as much as a disaster.  
  
A sudden noise of creaking wood caught his attention, immediately followed by a guttural roar: a black and white beast with blazing red eyes appeared from the trees, approaching him with less than friendly intention.  
  
"Oh, come on," he raised his sword and widened his stance, ready to par and counterstrike. The Alpha Ursa wouldn't even know what hit it. "At least bring in an actual fight."  
  
The huge Grimm growled angrily, staring down the cocky hunter-in-training, and then suddenly leapt: its claws cut through the air where his head would have been if he hadn't been quick to roll to the side and get out of the way.  
  
Taking the chance, he got back to his feet and jumped, wielding his sword with both hands and bringing it down in a swift, fluid movement. The beast cried out in pain as its arm fell helplessly to the ground and faded into a dark mist.  
  
Qrow grinned and gestured to the Grimm to come and get it, which caused the monster to roar again; he didn't know if Grimm had enough brains to understand when they were being mocked and taunted, but this one surely didn't like Qrow's attitude at all: it swung down again, but this time Qrow brought his sword in front of him and parred the blow. The sheer strength of the hit pushed him a few inches back, but not enough to make him lose balance. In another swift strike, even the second arm was detached from the body and dissolved.  
  
"You're a tough cookie, ain't you?" The boy laughed as the incapacitated Grimm lunged at him and tried to chew off his leg in a surprisingly quick attack. He stepped out of its range and jumped on the now exposed back of the beast, grabbing at the long strands of black fur as the latter thrashed and roared, trying to knock him off. He smirked evilly and thrust the full length of the sword into the Ursa's side, which cried out yet again and reared back on his hind legs in a last ditch attempt to shove him off. He jumped down and watched as the Grimm fell to its back, overwhelmed by the pain and lack of support of its forefront limbs.  
  
It was almost sad to look at, this huge beast maimed and hurting and wailing softly, lying on the ground, utterly powerless. But it was a Grimm, and who knows how many humans it got to ruthlessly devour in its long, meaningless life. He walked up to the fallen Grimm and jumped on his exposed stomach, staring down at it.  
  
"Sorry, dude, you were just unlucky."  
  
The sword morphed again, a scythe taking its place: Qrow placed the hook of the blade where the Grimm's neck connected with its wide body and swung it sharply. In a moment, the soft growling and whimpering ceased, followed by the disgusting, squishy sound of a severed head rolling on the grass and the massive remains of the creature finally melted away.  
  
"Well, that was a blast." He grumbled, staring at the spot where the huge creature had met its demise and vanished into nothingness. He rolled his shoulder, somewhat still slightly sore from that powerful blow he deflected, relishing in the soft popping sound the joint made as it clicked back in place into its socket.  
  
A lot of things happened in the three seconds that followed: a loud screech tore through the air and a huge shadow covered him from above, and Qrow lifted his eyes just in time to see a medium sized Nevermore plunging down from the sky, aiming right at him. At the same time, he heard a powerful yell coming from somewhere close, very close, and the massive body of a Beowulf flew from the trees, hitting the Nevermore just in time to knock it off its trajectory and slam it against a nearby tree. The Beowulf groaned weakly and dissolved, leaving only the stunned Nevermore to be taken care of.  
  
"Hey! You okay?"  
  
The blond boy from earlier came out from the spot where the flying Beowulf had appeared. He was fairly disheveled, as if he had been fighting for a long time, but he still flashed Qrow a blinding smile.  
  
Qrow nodded, quite speechless. Did this guy seriously hurl a Beowulf through the air with so much force to knock down a Nevermore? Was he even real, acting like that was no big deal at all?  
  
In response, the boy's grin only widened. "Cool! You know, I was starting to dread I had ended up alone in this part of the forest, I still hadn't met anyone and these pests just kept on coming-- wait, is that a scythe you have there?!?"  
  
In the maelstrom of random flying Grimms and the sinking realization that this guy was now supposed to be his partner for the upcoming four years, he had completely forgot to shift back the scythe in sword form. He shrugged. "Yep. Does its job done, I s'ppose."  
  
He expected the boy to recoil in disgust, to take the fucking hint that Qrow wasn't one to be around. He had picked his scythe design, basing it on the pictures he would find in some old book of fairytales he sometimes salvaged from the villages the tribe attacked, also for that precise reason. No one in their right mind would want to associate themselves with a guy that looked like he was Death incarnate, right?  
  
What he was not expecting was the boy's deep blue eyes to shimmer in pure excitement and his grin to grow even wider. Qrow briefly wondered if smiling so much didn't hurt.  
  
"Oh man, that's so cool!!"  
  
Qrow arched an eyebrow; he couldn't decide if the guy was an idiot or pretending to be one for the heck of it. He glanced at the Nevermore and saw its wings and beak twitching as it quickly regained consciousness; he cursed himself for letting the surprise get the better of him and make him lose a perfect chance to easily finish the Grimm off.  
  
"Whatever. It's waking up."  
  
"Yeah," the boy agreed, suddenly a lot more serious and focused. Qrow finally switched back to the sword and stared at the rising Grimm. Behind him, he heard the noise of metallic gloves slamming together. The Grimm roared and Qrow lunged at it, but with a quick swing of its poweful wings the beast soared in the air, tall above their heads. Qrow cursed and twisted, sliding to a stop on the grassy floor as he dug the tip of the sword into the ground along the way. A few feet away he watched as the boy launched Dust spells from his bronze armor gloves: ice spears, fire bullets, even blades of wind were fired at amazing speed from his fists, but each of them missed the annoyingly deft Nevermore, causing the boy to growl in frustration. They had no way to land a hit on that thing unless they somehow clipped its wings, but Qrow, as agile as he was, doubted he'd be able to jump that high.  
  
Then an idea struck him.  
  
"Hey," he called out to the boy as they dodged the beast's fast, razor-sharp feathers it kept throwing their way. "Think you can hoist me up there?"  
  
The blonde gave him a long, hard look, studying him carefully. It was so intense, so focused, that he was almost grateful when the Grimm tried to slash at him with a particularly well aimed attack and forced them to break apart. After what felt like an eternity, he smiled and nodded.  
  
"I got your back."  
  
Qrow's stomach lurched at the words, but there was no time to think about that right now, so he just bit back the bitter retort sitting on the tip of his tongue and resigned himself to do this.  
  
Scythe in hand, he ran towards the blond boy and jumped at the other's signal, spinning the weapon upside down and neatly landing onto the inner side of the curved blade. At the same time, the other guy let out a belligerent yell and threw an air-Dust charged punch right onto the outer edge of the blade. The force of the impact and the wind energy that the blow unleashed was so strong that the boy was pushed back despite his tough build.  
  
"Go and get it, dude!"  
  
For the second time that day, Qrow found himself shot through the air, with the tiny difference that this time there was a Grimm three times his size diving straight at him, firm in its intent to swallow him whole.  
  
He twisted and spun as fast as he could, and with a satisfying wet noise he felt the blade hooking around the wing bone, severing the limb with a clean, almost surgical, cut.  
  
The Grimm shrieked in pain and immediately lost its balance: it gracelessly plummeted towards the ground, where Qrow could see the young boy charging up another punch, his fist now enveloped in golden flames, no doubt the result of a combination of Dust and his Semblance. The heat was so intense that Qrow could feel it rippling in suffocating waves even from twenty feet above the ground. A flash, the sound of metallic knuckles connecting and cracking bones to splinters, a final, agonized scream and the Nevermore was finally gone. And holy shit, that was indeed pretty awesome.  
  
Qrow, still helplessly airborne, whistled at the rather impressive display of strength, knowing that he was too high up in the air for the other to be able to hear him. He pressed a second button on the handle, and the blade of his weapon clicked down, revealing the opening of a rifle right at the top of the staff. He fired a bullet, making use of the ricocheting force to maneuver himself back to the ground, where he landed with a soft "oof.", his legs giving out beneath his weight.  
  
He heard the quiet steps approaching, but didn't look up until a gloved hand was thrust in front of him. He raised an eyebrow to the guy, who shrugged and kept holding his hand out expectantly. Qrow rolled his eyes and took it, allowing him to pull Qrow back on his feet.  
  
"That was incredibly cool. By the way, I'm Taiyang. Although most people just call me Tai."  
  
Taiyang, huh. It was a pretty nice name, rolled off the tongue rather easily. It fit someone as friendly as this guy.  
  
"Name's Qrow. With a Q. I know, it's dumb." He grumbled in response, earning an amused chuckle from Taiyang. "And I work alone." He added as he spun on his heels and started walking towards the close-by clearing he had spotted during his time in the air. The ruins there had looked pretty ancient, although he couldn't say for sure, given the limited time he had to scan the area, and totally like a place where a nerdy guy like that professor would put this so called relics they were supposed to retrieve.  
  
The giggling behind him intensified, and Taiyang, much to his dismay, hurried to catch up with him. He had hoped he'd be rude enough to discourage the other from following, possibly even have Tai flip him off on his way. It would have been better for everyone. Of course he got the Nice Guy That Doesn't Give Up out of the bunch. Just his luck.  
  
"Oh my god, don't tell me you're one of those. I mean, you have the looks for it, sure, but I didn't think you'd be that type."  
  
Against his better judgment, Qrow glowered at him. "The heck are you talking about?"  
  
"Oh, you know," Taiyang lifted his arms and crossed them behind his head. "One of those guys. Edgy, kinda emo, 'too dark and too cool for you' kind of person."  
  
"Oh really?" He tried to ignore the annoying chatter and focus on the path, but Taiyang's words kept buzzing in his head. He was _not_ one of those standoffish fuckers.  
  
"Yeah. But you're actually talking, so I guess you're not. Phew, close call. I suppose I was really lucky there."  
  
Qrow snorted. "You definitely were not."  
  
Tai actually looked kinda surprised at the bitter response he got, but he was quick to hide it behind a smile. "Why not? You're a great fighter, and you're not emo. Sounds like a pretty good deal to me."  
  
"I might be an arrogant ass, for what you know."  
  
"Nah," Tai waved his hand dismissively, "you're a cool dude."  
  
"How can you be so sure of that?" Qrow finally caught a glimpse of the ruins through the gaps between the trees and sped up, forcing Taiyang - sturdier, but shorter - to trot in order to keep up with him.  
  
"Dunno. Just got a hunch. A nice one at that."  
  
Qrow sighed, coming to a halt right before the bridge that connected the cliff to the ruins. "I'm not nice."  
  
"You still haven't thrown me down this cliff, I don't think you're too bad." Taiyang pointed at the horrendously deep abyss opening before them, a chilly breeze rising from its depths and worming its way through their clothes and hair. Qrow didn't suffer acrophobia - considering all the shit he'd been through today, thank fuck he didn't - but he still felt a chill run down his spine. How did the saying go? Stare into the abyss and the abyss stares into you.  
  
He shook his head, giving up for good. He had tried to push Taiyang away, if he wanted to stick around then fine, it was his choice. "Whatever you choose to do, man, but don't you dare complain if your school life doesn't turn all flowers and rainbows as you're expecting."  
  
"Oh, don't worry about me," Taiyang replied, a confident grin on his tanned, sunny face. Qrow had never thought it was possible for a person to be so likeable and insufferable at the same time. "I can take a hit just fine."  
  
"I really hope you can."  
  


* * *

  
  
"As for the ones who collected the two black rooks," Professor Ozpin said, scrolling down on his tablet to search up for the names on his list. "Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, Raven Branwen, Qrow Branwen. The four of you will make Team STRQ, led by Summer Rose."  
  
Qrow's heart sank as the teacher listed off the names. Part of him had a feeling it would end up like this, but the other part was royally pissed off. Taiyang's head whipping around, confusion painted all over his face, surely didn't help to lift up his mood.  
  
"Both Branwen? You wouldn't happen to..."  
  
"Raven's my sister. Twin sister, to be precise." _And she's a massive pain in the ass_ , he wanted to add, but ultimately decided to keep that thought to himself. Who knew, maybe Beacon would do some good to that dreadful temper of hers, and possibly even have her change her mind on the whole tribe thing.  
  
Yeah, as if.  
  
Taiyang whistled, impressed. "I lost count of the times I said this already, but it's so cool. Although I gotta say your parents did have quite the obsession with corvids. Not that it's weird, but--"  
  
"Cool my ass," Qrow cut him off, feeling like they were approaching a very dangerous topic and deciding to avoid going there for the time being. He scanned the crowds searching for a familiar bush of raven hair. "It's not cool to have your sibling around even at school. You know how it is, we butt heads on every little thing."  
  
"I wouldn't know actually. I'm an only child," Tai explained after he got a quick, questioning glance. "Always wanted a sibling. But my dad died years ago, on the job, and they never got a chance."  
  
The way the boy immediately opened up and freely talked about his deceased parent made his stomach churn. He would have to tell Taiyang and this Summer gal sooner or later, of his Semblance and of a past he wished to erase altogether. Taiyang waited, probably expecting Qrow to comment on that and share a tidbit of his own past with him.  
  
He had barely managed to open his mouth that a heavy hand landed on his shoulder, and for the first time in his life he felt blessed when he saw Raven appearing out of nowhere at his side.  
  
"Hey, little brother." Raven smirked, hand resting on her hip, the very portrait of arrogant confidence. "I see you're still in one piece."  
  
He glared at her, the conversation with Tai entirely forgotten. "Mind your own business."  
  
"Ooh, so scary," she mocked him, scarlet eyes gleaming evilly before turning to Tai, who was staring at her, positively frozen. Qrow could swear the man's ears were slightly pinker than what they used to be up until a minute ago. "And you are Taiyang, I s'ppose?"  
  
"Yeah," Tai breathed out, and Qrow grimaced ever so slightly. Great, just... great. "Taiyang Xiao Long... glad to make your acquaintance."  
  
"Raven Branwen," Raven gave him the once over, and was apparently quite pleased with what she was seeing, "Likewise."  
  
"And I'm Summer, Summer Rose. Pleased to meet you." The tiny, cloaked girl that Qrow had seen flying so expertly down the cliff suddenly appeared from behind Raven. She was a good half-foot shorter than Raven - not that Raven was a valid measurement unit, since she was barely shorter than Qrow himself - but her eyes, of pure, liquid silver, were so intense and mysterious that Qrow felt the need to take a step back, despite the good natured smile gracing her lips. He got the distinct feeling this little woman was much more than she let on at first sight, and judging from the knowing look on her face, Raven shared his view. "How about we go check out our new dorm room?"  
  
"I agree on that. Getting a lay of the land is always important."  
  
"Please, Raven, just shut the fuck up." Qrow growled, eliciting an amused chuckle from the two women and a scandalized squeak from Tai. Raven scoffed and waved her hand.  
  
"You'll regret your words when I'll have kicked your sorry ass, brother."  
  
"No fights allowed in the dorm room." Summer immediately gave them a taste of how stern she could get when she was in full leader mode, and the three of them froze in terror as her eyes glinted with a cold, silver light. "Unless they're pillow fights. I'm down with those."  
  
"Pillow fight it is, then," Raven drily agreed, still staring defiantly at her brother, who returned the look in kind. "Come on, let's go."  
  
Raven and Summer started weaving their way through the mass of colorful students. Summer was soon entirely swallowed by the buzzing swarm, but Raven was so tall - and her hair so physically impossible - that she was still clearly visible from the other side of the wide hall room.  
  
"Qrow? You alright?"  
  
That was actually a good question, the answer to which he still didn't know.  
  
"Still glad you got stuck with me?" He found himself asking, despite knowing Tai wouldn't understand what he was talking about, not yet. And, case in point, the blond boy smiled widely.  
  
"Of course dude! Couldn't hope to come across three people as cool as you! Speaking of which..." he lowered his voice, as though he was about to inquiry about something of absolute secrecy. "Does your sister have a boyfriend?"  
  
It was going to be four long years, but somehow Qrow had the feeling things would turn out okay somehow. He smiled and shook his head.  
  
"With that attitude? She's lucky guys aren't actively avoiding her." Not yet, at least. He remembered the one unlucky sap that decided pulling her hair would be a sure-fire way to conquer the lady's heart. He ended up with a broken arm.  
  
"That is a crime," Tai mumbled, his face turning grave and fit for a funeral. "A crime of the lowest kind."  
  
Qrow even laughed at the fake indignant tone he used, and shoved his hands in his pockets, slowly making his way over to where the two girls had disappeared.  
  
"Say, Tai, you're really not a lucky person, are you?"  
  
"I never believed in luck and misfortune, honestly," Tai replied, laughter still edging his tone. "It's bullshit. Bad things just happen sometimes because they have to, and the same applies to the good ones. Really, those ruffians talking about lucky charms and absurd rituals to chase off the bad luck tick me off."  
  
"Hmm, who knows," Qrow conceded, "and yet you happened in a team with Raven. Out of all people. It takes a lot of bad luck for that."  
  
"Are you serious?" Tai beamed at nothing in particular, but Qrow didn't need to be a mind reader to guess he was thinking back to his sister. "Your sister is awesome! As well as you are, obviously."  
  
"It's fine," Qrow dispelled the boy's worried with a crooked grin. He was so not going to butt in Raven's love life, if she'd ever get one. He cared about his life. "Just know that I wish you good luck, and I'll take care of your funeral if she doesn't return the feeling."  
  
Tai slung a finely toned arm around his shoulders and leaned heavily against him, pretending to be mortally wounded and on the brink of death. Qrow scoffed but didn't push him away.  
  
"I knew I could count on you, my brother." Tai whined pathetically, though the slightest twitch of the corners of his lips ruined his little act. "I can now accept my fate without regrets, knowing my maimed rests won't become rotten food for the Nevermores."  
  
"You're ridiculous," Qrow slid Tai off him as the other boy burst in a booming fit of laughter that almost - almost - infected Qrow too. Then he realized something. "Wait, brother?"  
  
"Well, duh," Tai slapped his arm with a little more force than Qrow was expecting, making him stumble. "We're partners now. Basically family."  
  
Family. It was a word the meaning of which Qrow didn't really grasp. Sure, Raven was family: she'd been there at his side ever since he remembered being alive, stuck with him through every hardship they came across. But she had gladly took part in the tribe's most nefarious activities, enjoyed being part of them as much as Qrow loathed it.  
  
She called them family several times, and that, by transitive property, should have made them Qrow's family as well, shouldn't it?  
  
Like hell it did.  
  
"You're weird, Tai," he said, and to further prove his point Tai's smile widened even more. Somehow, Qrow found himself grinning back. Gods, he was contagious.  
  
"Guess that's the closest I'll ever get to a compliment from you, I suppose, you edgelord. Brothers then?"  
  
Qrow sighed. "Brothers. And I'm not an edgelord."  
  
"Of course you're not." Tai snickered and thus earned himself a punch to his shoulder that did exactly nothing to stifle his laughter. On the distance, he saw Raven and Summer chatting with each other just outside of a sliding door that must have been their new dorm room. Their shared home for the next four years to come.  
  
"Hey, you lovers! If you're done flirting, how about you move those stiff asses over here already?" Raven called out loudly to them when she saw them approaching, royally unbothered by the scandalized looks she earned from other passing students. Summer was breathless from laughing too much.  
  
The two boys exchanged a knowing look and picked up their pace to meet up with the rest of the team.  
  
Yeah, maybe Beacon wouldn't be so bad, all things considered.

**Author's Note:**

> Feedback and criticism is always welcomed!! :D :D :D


End file.
